Building construction unit



Nov. 23, `1937. R. w. MCLAUGHLNJR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION UNIT Filed May 22. 1937 Patented Nov. 23, 1937 2,099,951 l BUmnrNc. CONSTRUCTION UNIT Robert W. McLaughlin, Jr., New York, N. Y., as-

signor to American Houses, Inc., New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 22,1937, Serial No. 144,198

7 Claims.

This invention rela'tes to building construction and more specifically to prefabricated buildings. In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character described, which 5 will eiiiciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled. l Other objects of the invention are to provide a'heat-insulating unit to be used in the construction of prefabricated buildings; to provide such a unit wherein loose insulating material occupies practically all of the space therein even where the 16 boundaries of the unit are irregularly-shaped; to provide such an irregularly-shaped unit having a lining or wrapping about the insulating material, which wrapping acts as a snug, inner lining for the unit; to provide such a Wrapping with o openings on the outer face so as to permit ventilation of the filling to the exterior; to provide such a unit wherein the lining is prevented from having contact with predetermined parts of the unit and is forced into having contact with other parts of the unit .to provide such a unit wherein the lining and associated elements are adapted to prevent moisture in the filling or insulation from unit with relatively rigid dividing partitions exo tending through the heat-insulating material soas to add rigidity to the unit and prevent settlement of the lling.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

35 The invention accordingly comprises an article possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements, which are exemplied in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in 40 `the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

45 which: v

Figure 1 is a plan view in section of a device embodying one form of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical view in section of a part of the device shown in Fig. 1 at one stage of its 50 construction.

This invention contemplates a heat-insulating unit essentially adapted to be used in connection with stud and panel units employed in certain Wall constructions. The particular type of stud 55 and panel assembly here shown in conneetiqn with the inserted insulation unit is more fully disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 102,451, led September 25, 1936.

In many instances, studs are formed so as to present areas which are not simply flat.` The 5 studding and wall surface panelling in such cases present an inner chamber, the cross-section of which is highly irregular. This invention contemplates the provision of a heat-insulation unit which fills the irregularities of the space above the studs.

In the drawing, Ill and I2 denote vertical wall studs having irregular, horizontal cross-sections and which are spaced from each other by the length of the panel I4 to which they are attached, 15

and which, with the studs, forms a Wall-forming unit.V The panel I4 forms the inner surface of the wall. The studs extend outwardly from the panel and may be so shaped that adjacent studs of adjacent wall-forming units are adapted to internest, as shown in Fig. l. Interlocking keying elements I6, having aixed thereto elements I 8 to which the outer Wall is attached after the insulation unit has been inserted, may be employed, as shown, to interlock adjacent wallforming units. Elements I 0, l2 and I4 provide a trough-like unit. A plurality of such units may be fitted together edge to edge to form a wall.

In the formation of the insulating unit, a sheet 0f material i9 is placed in the trough-like unit 30 so as to extend from the bottom to the top thereof. This sheet preferably is of moisture-resistant paper, for example a light, asphalt-saturated building paper. In order that the paper Wrapping of the insulation unit, which may be also y considered the lining vof the vertical wall unit, may fit snugly into the irregularities of the studs, a suitable die, for example a rotatable die having a peripheral form corresponding in shape to the stud cross-section, may be employed to force the lining into contact with the stud face, by rolling the die along the stud with the lining between the die and stud. The paper may be folded at the bottom of the wall-forming unit so as to form a closure.

Any suitable heat-insulating material, such as loose mineral Wool 23, may be inserted within the lining. usually when the unit is in position with the panel element I4 horizontal.

Suitably spaced within the lining there may be 50 positioned one or more partitions 24 preferably made of corrugated paper. The elements 24 may be shaped to follow the irregularities of the studs in a general way (see the cui'I out diagonal corners 4Z6, and Z8). The partitions 24 may havev 55 ears-3@ integral therewith which are bent and which may be attached at 3l, as by sealing, to

the paper wrapping I9. If the partition is slightly larger than the stud-'to-stud dimension, it may be frictionally positioned in the wrapping by 7 4 adhesive or by riveting or stapling the edges of the lining together. Where the seal is accomplished by riveting or stapling the edges of the lining, spaces indicated generally in the drawing as at 36 may be left between adjacent rivets or staples and thus provide means for Ventilating the iilling of insulating'material.

In order that any moisture that may be present may not transfer from the insulation unit to the panel IB, or in the opposite direction, bydirect contact, spacing means such as the ribs 3d may be provided between the panel it and the wrapping IS so that the Wrapping and the panel are prevented from contacting each other, and ventilation established between the inner panel and the adjacent lining.

The foregoing device provides avheat and cold insulation unit which inhibits both conduction of heat and the infiltration of air from the outside to the inside walls and which provides a tight insulation-to-stud combination even where the studs are irregular and the paper lining heavy. In operation, it has been found that these units may be constructed in the manner described with a maximum of speed and a minimum of labor.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a building construction unit comprising a panel element, a plurality of spaced stud elements affixed. thereto and extending therefrom, said stud elements forming with said panel element `a trough-shaped assembly, the interior faces of said stud elements being irregularly shaped, a moisture-resistant lining positioned Within said assembly and in close contact with the interior faces of said stud elements, insulation material within said lining, and means to providea passage-way for ventilation between said panel element and said lining.

2. In combination, a building construction unit comprising a panel element, a pluralityg'of spaced stud elements affixed thereto and extending therefrom, said stud elements forming with said panel element a trough-shaped assembly, the interior faces of said stud elements being irregularly shaped, a moisture-resistant lining positioned within said assembly and in close contact with the interior faces of said stud elements, inj tially rigid insulation supporting elements positioned within said lining and extending between said stud elements.

3. In combination, a building construction unit comprising a panel element, a plurality of spaced stud elements affixed thereto and extending therefrom, said stud elements forming with said panel element a trough-shaped assembly, the interior faces of said stud elements being irregularly shaped, a moisture-resistant lining positioned within said assembly and in close contact with the interior faces of said stud elements, insulation material within said lining, means to provide a passage-way for ventilation between said panel element and said lining, and substantially rigid insulation supporting elements positioned within said lining and extending between said stud elements, said insulation supporting elements being shaped to conform generally to the inner surfaces 'of said stud elements.

4. In combination, a building construction unit comprising a panel element, a plurality of spaced stud elements afxed thereto and extending therefrom, said stud elements forming with said panel element a trough-shaped assembly, the interior faces of said stud elements being irregularly shaped, a moisture-resistant lining positioned within said assembly and in close contact with the interior faces of said stud elements, in-' sulation material within said lining, means to provide a passage-way for ventilation between said panel element and said lining, and substantially rigid insulation supporting elements -positioned within said lining and extending between said stud elements, said insulation supporting elements being provided with tabs adapted to engage the inner face of said lining.

5. In building construction employing construction units comprising a panel element having aixed to one face thereof and extending therefrom a plurality of spaced structural frameforming elements, irregularly shaped to internest with similarly shaped elements of adjacent construction units, an insulation assembly comprising loose heat insulating material, a wrapping completely surrounding said loose material and positioned within said unit and in close contact with said frame-forming elements,` a stiii'ening element positioned within said wrapping and in engagement therewith and adapted to support said loose heat insulating material, and spacer means positioned between said panel and said wrapping, said heat insulating material supporting element being of such shape as to conform roughly to the internal shape of said building unit.

6. In building construction employing con- `with said frame-forming elements, a stiening element positioned within said wrapping and in engagement therewith and adaptedto supporf said loose heat insulating material, and spacer means positioned between said panel and said wrapping.

'7. In building construction employing construction units comprising a panel element having aflixed to one face thereof and extending therefrom a plurality of spaced structural frameforming elements, irregularly shaped to internest with similarly shaped elements of adjacent construction units, an insulation assembly comprising loose heat insulating material, a wrapping completely surrounding said loose Imaterial and positioned within said unit and in close contact with said frame-forming elements, a stiifening element positioned within said wrapping and in engage-n ment therewith and adapted to support said loose` heat insulating material, and spacer means positioned between said panel and said Wrapping, said wrapping comprising a moisture-resistant light 5 building paper. I

ROBERT W. McLAUGrI-ILIN,V JR. 

